Terra Tinkers Construct is fine.

He told the hunters, “The water over there is the same as the one I showed you yesterday. Take water from the extra stream you dug out; just take whatever you want. The pig’s entrails, flesh, and bones are separated and placed on these carpets. We’ll give the brothers an extra meal today.”

Then he turned around and looked at the canned food members and infected people who had been staring blankly for a long time.

"You saw everything?"

"..."

They all nodded in unison, not daring to utter a single word.

"Okay, let me introduce you."

Milan clapped his hands, jumped off the suspension frame, walked between the two groups of people, and said, "These are the survivors I rescued yesterday after I took down a black workshop."

"You don't need to worry about which illegal workshop they are. Just know that they will be our people from now on, working under me just like you."

Then, he stretched out his hand and gestured to the workers in the infected area: "Some of you may have seen these people before. They were from the Rust Gang that used to be called 'Steel Pipes'... Now 'Steel Pipes' is gone. I killed the one who was in charge. These are just marginal figures who were just filling in."

"..."

Milan spoke casually, but as soon as he finished speaking, a subtle commotion arose in both camps: the infected in the black workshop came from more than one steel pipe, but the steel pipe had indeed sent them manpower; the infected subconsciously became uneasy and tense, revealing a wary aggression, while the workers of [Canned Food] also darkened their faces and showed some resistance.

Among the infected are many who were deceived and trafficked by the Rust Gang. As for the workers... have you heard about Ursus's long-standing propaganda against the infected? Those who operate in the underground gray market are indeed less discriminatory towards the infected—after all, they often deal with smuggling, illegal immigration, and the gray market, and have seen quite a few infected people.

Even in places that discriminate against people infected with the virus, there are always shadows where they can hide.

But to suddenly be in the same room with so many infected people, or even work with them in the future...

"The past is the past. You can raise any concerns. I'm right here."

Milan's gaze swept across both sides, his tone calm, yet seemingly carrying a pressure that made them all spontaneously associate with him: "The original Rust Gang has disbanded, the ringleaders have been executed, and now I'm in charge."

"Does anyone have a problem?" 72 (3) Lin Su Chao 73 Su

The tense atmosphere between the two small groups vanished along with their bowed heads... Leaving aside the enemies they had all met in Milan, scattered here and there, no one had forgotten the incident of creating pigs out of thin air.

If he said he could turn a person into a pig right now, who among you would think he was just joking?

"Perfect timing. Some people may have been wondering what I, the new boss, am planning to do... That's normal. We're all here today, so I'll take this opportunity to say a few words to you."

Many of them may not be able to understand how reassuring it is for a craftsman in Milan to have "innovative equipment, readily available materials, and diverse materials," especially after his equipment has been tested in actual combat, which brings even clearer confidence.

From the very beginning, he never intended to build a century-old empire in Chernobog—the destruction of this mobile city was almost inevitable. He simply needed to seize this window of opportunity before the real disaster struck to consolidate control over a region and acquire additional resources to support his own actions.

That's fine... However, in the process, he doesn't mind giving his followers some small benefits because of his own limited strength.

So he said, "According to my intelligence... Chernobog, this city will soon be destroyed."

"At most, it won't be more than two months."

Chapter 59 Echo

"Based on the intelligence I have... Chernobog, this city will soon be destroyed."

"At most, it won't take more than two months."

Of course, only Milan himself knows how much exaggeration or embellishment is in his statement.

But the others didn't know—after he finished speaking, the entire space fell into a deathly silence, as if everyone had been hit on the head by this news and were dizzy; but they quickly reacted, and it was like cold water being poured into a pot of oil, stirring up huge panic and uproar.

Faced with such news, both the infected and the workers were stunned by the sudden apocalyptic crisis—how credible was Milan's statement?

Given their current state, few of them might be able to think of this, but even if they did consider this level, a little scrutiny would make it difficult for them to doubt it: how many high-level combatants, especially capable ones, had they seen? In their minds, Chernobog could be a city with any secrets.

Putting aside the distant future, the mere fact that Milan, with such a skill, could personally appear in this city at this moment seems to hold some significance—so much so that it makes it even more difficult for them to doubt, leaving them only with the energy of a aimless storm in their minds.

Milan didn't speak immediately, but quietly watched them make a ruckus in panic for a few minutes before coldly saying, "What's the big deal?"

"Is panicking helpful?"

"If being scared here could solve the problem, I wouldn't mind going down and being scared with you all... but would it make any sense?"

"I don't have much to say, I just want to tell you this: panicking counts as time. Every extra minute you waste here is time you can use to prepare for self-rescue."

His voice, so tangible, instantly drowned out all the noise—both workers and infected turned their attention to him.

"Believe it or not, it's up to you. You can ask around for yourselves."

Milan said, "If you have connections, you can try to find those high-ranking nobles. How many of them are still alive? You can try to escape yourselves, but let me tell you this: this matter involves some high-level inside information. There may be roadblocks on your escape routes. It depends on your abilities."

After saying that, he turned to the infected, his expression becoming subtle: "As for you... although this is not a good thing, you don't need to panic about your future survival value in front of me."

"Before long, infected people will probably not be a rare species in this city, so instead of overthinking, the important thing is to figure out how to survive the upcoming turmoil."

Panic and whispers were shattered by the cruel reality pointed to by colder words—because Milan forced them to calm down, and they had no choice but to think carefully, only to find one unavoidable problem: Milan was right.

If what he said is true.

So……

“You are not important figures who can influence the empire’s decisions, nor are you wealthy merchants who can bribe the army; panic will not change anything, it will only hasten your demise.”

“There is still more than a month left. You three can go back and try everything you can think of.”

He chuckled as he said this.

"But eventually you'll find that this is reality."

"Whether you choose to work under me and try your best to survive, or go back and pretend you didn't hear anything to eat and wait to die, it's up to you."

After saying that, he jumped off the hanging frame, habitually took out two wooden stairs, turned them upside down to use as a table, and set out a simple meal of vegetables from his garden. Then, without waiting for anyone else to react, he began to arrange the food himself:

"Workers, please note this down. After you get off work, pack up some old household items and we'll arrange a time for me to pick them up tonight. I'll reimburse you at market price."

"The same goes for the infected people. You need to take stock of their clothing needs... and then focus on getting them healthy. In the short term, your main task is to help them understand their surroundings."

After making these arrangements, he clapped his hands and called out, "Pavel, come with me."

Which area has the nearest black market?

Meanwhile, on the surface of the earth.

The atmosphere inside the factory office, which was called the "Iron Foundry" or, more officially, the "Neva River Renewable Resources Recycling Company," was quite different.

"Trash! A bunch of trash!"

A well-dressed but greasy-faced man was roaring at several bowed thugs. He suddenly swept the ashtray on the table to the ground, and the imitation crystal glass ashtray shattered instantly.

"One person! Just one person! If I hadn't checked the security footage, I would have thought there were many people here!"

"Wearing armor, you think you can chase us around like weeds? And empty the warehouse?"

Do you know how much that batch of raw materials cost? And how many ore cores are due for delivery next quarter?

He pointed at several people with his cigarette between his fingers, spitting as he did so, his anger so intense that the Ursus men's round ears perked up. The other people in the office on the other side also looked grim. As the company's visible managers and also the direct beneficiaries in the shadows, their losses were equally significant.

Even so, one of the older-looking men said in a deep voice, "Calm down, Victor, calm down."

"Calm down? How can I calm down? If we can't deliver this batch of goods, are we going to take the fall out of our own pockets?"

The Ursus man named Victor's voice trembled, but when he turned around and saw that it was a manager of equal status, he suppressed his anger and said, "Yes, I'm excited... Goman, have you made contact over there? What did Lord Orlov say?"

"There's no news from Lord Orlov."

Goman shook his head, and even though his face was not happy, he still showed a more composed demeanor: "The manor's butler said that the master went on vacation last week... There is no need to worry so much. A man like Master Orlov does not need to pay attention to small people like us all the time. We have no right or need to disturb him over such a small matter at the company."

"A minor problem? Goman, you call this a minor problem?"

The impatient Viktor almost jumped up: "The underground workshop has been raided, all the raw materials and workers are gone, the materials for the orders in the warehouse have been swept clean, and Bogdan and his best fighters are all lying on the ground!"

"Now not only are the underground secrets destroyed, but the workers in the factories above are also living in fear, and many are even afraid to come to work!"

"This can be considered a minor inconvenience!?"

Goman's face was grim. How could he not know that the losses were heavy? What's more, it wasn't just resources and money that were lost, but also their connections to do shady work for the nobles... to be uprooted was like picking a thorn in their side.

What did our people say?

Another manager spoke up, looking at a fierce-looking man. But this guy, who was supposed to be the security chief but was more like a thug leader, spat out: "A bunch of cowardly wimps who've been scared out of their wits."

"They said an armored man suddenly broke through the wall of the underground workshop without warning, attacking from below like a ghost; his strength was unbelievable, and his methods were ruthless. The few guys who didn't die said that he just charged, and they were all lying down."

"Break through the wall?"

Viktor almost laughed in anger. He looked at the thugs with their heads down, pointed at their noses and cursed, "What the hell is that a wall? What the hell is that the supporting structure of a mobile city! The filling material! That thing can be used as a wall and broken through?"

"Use the alcohol in your brains and think about it! One person, huh? One person can move so much stuff?"

"And what about the passage you mentioned? Where is it? Are you telling me they filled it back up when they left?!"

He shouted loudly, but the other managers only looked at the security chief, who shook his head: "I went to see it, the wall is completely intact... There's not even a crack, let alone a hole. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes on the surveillance footage, I wouldn't have believed it was true."

"It was as if it appeared out of thin air and then disappeared into thin air."

The office fell silent once again. Victor wanted to yell again, like, "Are you going to tell me we were robbed by a ghost that can walk through walls?" But after thinking about it carefully, even he fell silent.

The silence was a mixture of anger and unspeakable frustration, because apart from what appeared to be a blatant robbery, they found themselves with no clues as to how to retaliate: the other party's route was nowhere to be found, their appearance was never revealed, and apart from their armor, not even their racial characteristics were discernible.

"So, the trail just went cold?"

Someone took a deep breath and after a long while uttered this sentence.

But Goman thought for a moment, closed his eyes, and said, "No, there's another clue."

"That armored man not only stole our goods, but also let the group of infected escape... Either he himself is infected, or he's a madman connected to the infected."

"But no matter what, he is definitely connected to the infected now... If there is a connection, there will be some trace left."

He opened his eyes, and his aged eyes revealed a ruthlessness reminiscent of his youth and a cunning honed by experience; the others also came to their senses, with Viktor looking directly at the security chief.

"good very good."

He gritted his teeth and said, "Send out all the manpower you can, spread the word to the workers' association and those slum leaders who are connected to the infected... Yes, and those Rust Gang members in this area, get them all in there."

"Put up a bounty for me! Investigate any recent activity related to the infected individuals, any gatherings related to them, and any events related to them! Also, make large-scale purchases and stockpiles of food!"

"I refuse to believe that such a powerful fighter just appeared out of thin air from a rock!" Qi Luyin Er

He believed this was a clear breakthrough: such a powerful fighting force, willing to expose its movements to take away a group of infected people, must have a necessary connection; finding the infected people might lead to finding that person.

His colleagues in the same office all thought there was nothing wrong with his approach.

But what they didn't know was that when such an order was thrown into the deep waters of Chernobog, where the sun never shines... what splashed up might not be anything at all.

Chapter 60: Black Market Preparations

Milan's prediction came true.

Those who eat meat are base and cannot plan for the long term, not to mention that the power they hold is itself the best smokescreen; perhaps considering only their perspective as "armored men," these people's reasoning is not out of the ordinary.

For example, putting aside all speculation, at least on the most basic level: Milan released dozens of infected people. Even if he really did abandon them, there should still be some activity involved in the food, lodging, and movement of so many people, right?

It's not like throwing money down the drain. How could living people and a large quantity of goods just disappear into thin air?

But no matter how rigorous their reasoning was based on common sense, they could never deduce that Milan was so overpowered: the food consumption of people and horses was not a burden on his already overflowing food production capacity, and the movement of so many people was all concealed through man-made channels—the thick filling material of the mobile city's support layer was the best road, and no one could have guessed that someone could actually swim through the underground in this place without anyone noticing.

Leave no trace behind.

In contrast to the infected in Milan, who are essentially in a state of "recuperation," the informants sent out by the back-end managers of the iron foundry are just wandering around aimlessly like headless flies. Whether their actions can affect this remote area of ​​Milan is another matter, but the underground gangs affected by their pressure are forced to be more alert and wander around everywhere.

The good news is: they did find something, after all.

The bad news is that the infected individuals and their associates who actually met the criteria in the above news—"radical, unfamiliar, and capable fighters"—were not just ordinary radicals, unfamiliar, and capable fighters.

However, none of that had anything to do with Milan—stirring up trouble was part of his plan all along.

Compared to Pavel, whom he had summoned to lead the way, this worried expression on his face was something closer to him.

Chernobog's underground black market was never in a fixed location, or rather, apart from certain tacitly understood forces at the higher levels, the lower-level black market was a more fluid, real-time, open gathering that rotated among various hidden areas.

Pavel seemed to know his way around quite well.

But his expression was hesitant, as if he wanted to speak but hesitated, going back and forth as if he dared not speak when the words were about to come; Milan was not in a hurry to say anything, he followed Pavel's lead while watching his changing expressions.

After countless internal struggles, the Ursus man finally couldn't help but lower his voice and ask, "Sir, regarding that news you mentioned earlier... is there really no room for reversal for this city?"

"Do you have the authority to activate the mobile city now and turn it around to head inland into Ursus?"

Milan glanced at him, told a double entendre, and then said, "You can choose not to believe it, just like you didn't hear anything, and continue to be the open leader of this new gang."

"They might even have the idea one day to remove me from my position as the mastermind behind the scenes."

Pavel broke out in a cold sweat, the large Ursus man hunching over, and hurriedly said as if afraid Milan would take it seriously, "I wouldn't dare! My lord, I... I had no such intention!"

"It's okay, it wasn't you who said it."

Milan thought for a moment, then smiled gently: "Speaking of which, Pavel, have you ever owned any pets?"

Pavel: ?